Page 117 of Free Agent

That had nothing to do with me.

I didn't want to dwell on Monty, so I told Amanda that while it was indeed awkward for her to have that relation to Yams, she shouldn't let it affect her relationship with Dennis. Even if they made it official, like married official, there was no guarantee or even a reason really for me to ever end up running into that girl.

Maybe the very occasional major family event that I might be invited to.

It would be silly to let the vague potential of a problem there overshadow the connection they so clearly had with each other.

Truly, I was happy for them.

Just seeing them together was a continuation of the stress-relieved good mood Tatum had already put me in earlier in the morning. It was energy I took to work with me after lunch, right into the emails and changelogs and all that mindless sort of thing I actually loved.

I was… content.

It was about damn time.

NINETEEN

TATUM

"I should've never told you shit," I huffed, a deep frown turning the corners of my mouth as Rori adjusted a heated blanket around me.

She looked me right in the face, rolled her eyes, and continued with her task.

I was not about to say it out loud to her, but the heated blanket actually did feel kinda good.

Just a little, though.

"I really cannot believe you are annoyed with me trying to help you," she said, stepping back now that she was done. "I’d think you'd be grateful."

I was grateful.

There was just something else I'd rather be doing right now… like being inside her.

“I already told you exactly what would make me feel better,” I grunted, and she laughed.

"I looked it up, and the overstimulation of sex is probably about the worst thing you could do during a flare-up," she said, eyebrows high, daring me to refute it.

I couldn't because she was right, but still.

Damn.

"You don't feel like you're a little too in my business right now?" I asked, and again, got nothing but laughs.

"Too in your business? No. All in your business? Absolutely. And here I will remain until you are through this flare-up. You have got to take care of yourself," she fussed.

She sounded just like my damn mama, who she'd been talking to a little too much for my taste, actually. I had made it a point to get away from hovering, and here she was doing the same damn thing.

Well, not the same thing.

Rori did her hovering in a Kings T-shirt she’d found in my drawer and nothing but panties underneath, which definitely soothed the sting a bit.

If only I could take advantage of some of the other perks of having her here, instead of her being responsible and shit.

"You could at least come climb up under here with me," I said, and she smirked, backing away.

"I can in just a moment," she said, before disappearing into the bathroom.

With her out of the room and no one looking at me like I was an invalid, I had nothing else to focus on. So, I gave in to the comfortable, soothing heat of the blanket.

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